The present disclosure relates to an information management system and an information management method for managing information for which a usage right is set.
For example, some image forming apparatus has a box function of storing image data of a document, for example, that is read by a scanner or the like into a storage area, within the memory, called a document box. The image forming apparatus is a digital multifunction peripheral, for example. The image forming apparatus having the box function allows users to use image data (box document) stored in the document box as needed. For example, with the use of the box function, the user is allowed to transmit a box document by e-mail or facsimile to a desired destination.
The image forming apparatus stores in advance an address book in which destination information (registration information) including a destination name and a corresponding destination identifier, such as an e-mail address, is registered. This allows the user to smoothly specify the destination when transmitting a box document. Such an address book is personal information. Therefore, it is common to set a usage right for registration information so as to permit use of the registration information only to the user who registered the registration information (registered user) and to users belonging to the same department as the registered user.
Setting the usage right for registration information can reduce leakage of the registration information. On the other hand, however, the convenience in using the address book is reduced. For example, there may be a case where a registered user is out of the office and requests a user who is in the office to transmit a box document. Yet, if the user who received the request does not have the usage right for the box document, he or she cannot transmit the box document and may not be able to act on the request.
In view of this, a technology is disclosed according to which use of destination information that requires a usage right is temporarily permitted to a user not having the usage right by inputting an access code.
With this technology, however, the destination name in the destination information requiring the usage right can be freely checked even before the access code is input. Therefore, there is a risk of leakage of the destination name.